Armstrong: See you at the movies

Many people have contacted our office to ask if “At Any Price” will be shown at a theater in DeKalb County. We understand and share your desire and enthusiasm to see that happen.

I got confirmation Monday from Sony Pictures Classics that “At Any Price” will be shown at Carmike Market Square Cinema in DeKalb on May 10.

As many of you know, the cast and crew were on location in DeKalb County for five months in 2011. The film generated approximately $950,000 for the local economy and booked 4,500 hotel room nights.

“At Any Price” debuted on the festival circuit last year. There also was a recent screening at SXSW (South by Southwest) in Austin, Texas, followed by a Q&A with director Ramin Bahrani and cast members Zac Efron and Dennis Quaid.

The trailer can be found on our Facebook page and has more than 5,000 views to date.

The bureau is considering the possibility of hosting an event that would allow residents that participated in the filming to share their experiences as a follow-up to the release of the movie.

We’d like to ask everyone that had a speaking part or worked closely with the cast and crew on the filming of “At Any Price” to email our office at darmstrong@dekalbcountycvb.com as soon as possible.

IHSA Destination DeKalb update

Upwards of 32,000 visitors are expected to descend on DeKalb County on Thanksgiving weekend and one thing is certain – they’ll have their game faces on. That’s because DeKalb County will welcome the Illinois High School Association State Football Championships to Huskie Stadium at Northern Illinois University.

The state finals will create a significant economic impact for the county. The weekend could generate anywhere from $800,000 to $1 million for the local economy.

There also is a significant financial investment required to host the event.

To that end, the IHSA Destination DeKalb Host Committee will kick off a sponsorship drive this month. The championship weekend is a community event that everyone in the area can get involved in. It also will generate invaluable publicity for the region. With the support of our communities, local businesses and residents, the spotlight will shine brightly on DeKalb County every other Thanksgiving weekend through 2021.

There are many exciting ways for local companies and residents to get involved. Businesses have a prime opportunity to benefit from the marketing opportunities the event will create. Here are a few of the sponsorship benefits that could be available: Comcast announcements leading up to the games, “Home Town” commercial spots, hospitality tent naming rights, live links on the IHSADestinationDeKalb.com website, inclusion in the IHSA football program, tickets to the games, and the ability to welcome a team to the area to name a few.

To set up a sponsorship meeting, email Tom Matya, Host Committee chairman, at tmatya@zeamays.com or Debbie Armstrong at darmstrong@dekalbcountycvb.com. We plan to have complete details on sponsorship levels posted on the website soon. Donations and sponsorships will be 100 percent tax deductible.

You can get involved and join in the fun by volunteering to help with the event as well. We want to reach out to everyone in the area to help welcome these visitors. We need to recruit more than 200 volunteers for the championship weekend. Let’s show the entire state that DeKalb County residents know how to host a fun and memorable experience. Volunteer online now at IHSADestinationDeKalb.com.

• Debbie Armstrong is executive director of the DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Center.